


Never Doubt

by tirsynni



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Loki Fix It, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Pre-Thor (2011), Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-22
Updated: 2018-07-22
Packaged: 2019-06-14 15:30:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15391833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tirsynni/pseuds/tirsynni
Summary: Before the coronation and the mess on Jotunheim, Loki only wanted to read in the garden and ignore Thor's latest temper tantrum. His mother called to him, but he knew what she wanted:Loki, fix it.





	Never Doubt

Thunder rumbled overhead, the sky darkening with terrifying speed. Without looking away from his book, Loki flicked a hand and breathed a working. With a green shimmer, magic shielded his comfortable little spot under his favorite tree. Thor generally had good enough control not to damage Mother’s garden, but there was no reason not to take precautions. Besides, Thor’s temper tantrums had worsened of late.

But Loki had escaped to his little nook in the garden to get away from such things. He ensured his back and head were as comfortable as possible, stretched his legs, wiggled his toes, and turned back to his book. It was a good book.

A book of fanciful tales. Children’s reading to some, but as the God of Lies, Loki knew better. All such tales contained some important kernel of truth. Loki turned the page to see a lovely picture of Ymir. Large and terrifying, marks intricately sketched onto its skin. 

Around him, the wind picked up, battering against his shield. Loki scowled at the picture of Ymir, still untouched by the storm, and strengthened his shield. And Father decided  _ Thor _ was to be King? Both of them born to be kings...what a laugh. All knew that Father would always choose his firstborn, no matter how childish and foolish he was, over his embarrassing second son.

No. None of that. Lightning cracked above, and Loki determinedly traced one of Ymir’s lines with his fingertip. Said to be among the oldest beings in all the Nine Realms, a terrifying sorcerer, and parent to the Jotunn. Another burst of lightning and Loki slid his finger down to the text below the picture. This specific tale told how the old Gods tore Ymir apart in order to create the Nine Realms. A metaphor or something hidden in that popular tale, and Loki believed it was something in connection to Ymir’s magic. He --

Speaking of magic. Loki’s fingers tightened around his book as something -- someone -- poked at his shields. No. He didn’t care what caused Thor’s latest temper tantrum or what he was destroying. He refused to clean up  _ this _ particular mess of Thor’s.

Besides, when Thor was King, Loki would have his work cut out for him.

“Fix it, Loki,” he grumbled, fingers tracing the words on the page. “He listens to you, Loki. Fix it. Ha! He hasn’t listened to me in an age…”

To his annoyance, Loki found himself putting down his book and staring at the blackened sky, like Thor’s lightning had burnt the very clouds. This  _ was _ odd, though. He couldn’t remember the last time Thor had a tantrum this bad. He frowned and rubbed his thumbs over the book. Perhaps it was something actually terrible instead of someone insulting Thor’s beard. Should he… Maybe just a projection, to see what was --

Like a lightning bolt, Thor slammed to the ground before Loki, one knee and fist punching the dirt, red cloak flaring behind him. Loki started and dropped his book. It hit the ground all but soundlessly, everything lost in the roar of thunder. 

What in the Nine Realms?

Thor knelt, body heaving, magic strong but still  _ his _ and everything else about the picture subtly wrong. The odd bow of his head, the shaking of his shoulders… Thor’s silhouette was wrong. His head looked different, shadows and lines of his face off. Something was actually  _ wrong _ .

“Brother?” Loki called, getting to his feet. His book laid in the dirt beside him, forgotten. 

Then Thor looked up.

Loki’s breath froze in his throat.

That wasn’t Thor. That couldn’t be Thor. But Loki knew his brother’s magic, his signature, anywhere in the universe, and everything screamed Thor. 

Except the shorn hair. His scarred face. Whatever awful emotion twisted his mouth and had him look like  _ that _ .

“Loki,” Thor breathed, and that was his Thor. Loki knew it, except in all the ways this man  _ wasn’t _ . Yet habit had Loki stepping forward, even as a voice in his head whispered for him to flee, to find  _ his _ brother, to get help.

Loki was always a fool when it came to Thor.

He managed two steps before Thor rose (and seemed to keep rising, like something had taken all of his brother’s frenetic energy and spirit and  _ life _ and condensed it to this figure with his grieving face) and then was suddenly there before Loki, all of that terrifying power wrapped around them both, and all of the attention Loki had missed from Thor seemed concentrated now, centuries of it bearing down on him.

“Brother,” Thor whispered. “Baby brother.”

The grief in Thor’s voice tore Loki apart. He tried to smile, automatically, something to coax a returning smile, but the weight on them both was too heavy. Thor raised a shaking hand and clasped the back of Loki’s neck. His thumb rubbed against the smooth skin, and for a moment he looked dazed, staring at Loki’s neck.

“Thor.” Loki licked his lips. The magic pressing against him grew insistent, fearful. His mother, he recognized, calling for his attention. He would respond in a moment. After this. “You...you are not my Thor.”

Thor laughed and it  _ hurt _ . Loki reached up and grabbed Thor’s shoulder, squeezing encouragingly. Even if this wasn’t  _ his _ Thor, it was  _ a _ Thor, and that was enough. 

“Oh, little brother. In any lifetime, in any  _ time _ , I am yours.” He smiled and...only one eye dripped tears. The scarred eye looked wrong. Damaged, perhaps? 

Worry about that later.  _ Loki, fix it _ . No trick or trap. This was Thor,  _ a _ Thor, in trouble, and once again needed Loki to pull him out of it. His heart racing in his chest, so quickly his toes and fingers tingled, Loki nonetheless forced a smile. “Then am I not yours, regardless of time? You came for a purpose. Let Loki fix it.”

Because he was a fool to think he could ever just sit quietly while his brother needed him. Thor’s throat bobbed with a thick swallow, and he tightened his grip on Loki’s neck, pulling him close so their heads rested together. All Loki could smell was smoke and lightning and blood.

_ What happened to your Loki? Why isn’t he fixing this? _

Of course...that answer was too easy. Loki tried not to think about it.

“Little brother,” Thor whispered, “no matter what, remember this: you are mine and I am yours and no dark secret, no action,  _ nothing _ could change that, even if we both wished it. I love you from the bottom of my soul, and that will  _ never _ change.”

Loki made himself nod, ignore the terror creeping through his veins like ice water. What had happened? What made Thor say such things?

The tapping against his shields increased, his mother’s fear creeping through.  _ Loki! _ she called.

Not yet.

“Father has kept secrets,” Thor said, voice picking up in speed and desperation. Another magic trembled under the lightning. Something old. Terrible.  _ Ancient _ . “He  _ must _ tell them. You have to tell him that. He must tell his secrets to both of us, or they will be discovered and horror will unfold.  _ No more secrets _ , or Ragnarok itself will unfold and our people will fall. Do you understand?”

No. No, he didn’t. Loki licked his lips and nodded, anyway. He tightened his grip on Thor’s shoulder. “I will tell him.”

Thor nodded, head rubbing against Loki’s. “Remember: no matter what those secrets are, what you are to me  _ will never change _ . I --” Thor choked and closed his eyes. Fear tangled sick and cold in Loki’s gut. “I love you. I will  _ always _ love you. You...you are a  _ great _ brother. If you remember  _ nothing else _ , you remember that. You are a pain in my ass and too clever by half, too clever for yourself more often than not, but you are still my beloved little brother, and damn all who think otherwise.”

That magic again, flaring like an ocean of knives, and both Thor and Loki hissed. Loki looked down to see something green shining in Thor’s other hand, and what was clearly not Mjolnir hanging from his waist.

Loki trembled, looking back at Thor again. His brother stared back with old, agonized eyes. What had happened? What was  _ going _ to happen?

“Tell him that Thanos is coming,” Thor said, “and if we fall due to his need for secrets and power, I will travel to Hel myself to punch him in his face.  _ You tell him that _ .”

Loki nodded, dizzy. “I --” Where to start with all of that? Secrets and Odin in  _ Hel _ and Thor saying such things? 

Well, of course. There was only one thing to say to all of this.

In the distance, over the angry rumblings of thunder, Loki heard  _ Thor’s _ voice shouting and  _ Odin _ and the Einherjar, all up in arms. Loki stared at  _ this _ Thor, with his pained, scarred face, and said, “I will do all of this, Brother. I swear to you.” He gently headbutted his brother. “And no matter what comes, never doubt that I will always,  _ always _ love you.”

Loki the Silvertongue, saying the most appropriate words at last. Thor laughed wetly and tears gleamed in one eye. “Oh, Brother. I will  _ never _ doubt that. And never doubt in return. Agreed?”

“Agreed.”

For the first time, Thor smiled a genuine smile, something sweet like the brother who was charging forward now, shouting Loki’s name. “Loki, you are truly the  _ best _ brother.”

Then Thor faded away in sparkles of green magic, so much dust, and Loki was holding nothing in his hand. His legs shook under him, and he felt himself fall.

Except Thor caught him before he hit the ground. Thor, with his long hair and bright eyes and untouched, beautiful face. “Brother, Brother!” Thor gripped his shoulders, steadying him as he looked him over. “Did the intruder hurt you? Are you well?”

The Einherjar scattered through the gardens, looking for the mysterious intruder. Odin stood behind Thor, looking grim as he looked over both Thor and Loki as if for injury or spell. Behind all of them, Frigga ran through the garden, hair loose and eyes wild.

Helpless to do anything else, Loki wrapped his arms around his brother and held tight. Without hesitation, Thor hugged him back, Mjolnir pressing against the small of Loki’s back.

“I am well,” he said into Thor’s neck, holding tightly. He closed his eyes and tried not to think about whatever future ended with his probable death and that look on Thor’s face.

“Don’t worry, Brother,” Thor soothed. “Whatever that intruder did, I will fix it. Never doubt that.”

Loki swallowed. “Never.”

**Author's Note:**

> For more Loki and Thor fandom things, check me out on [tumblr](http://tirsynni.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
